Candle In The Wind

A candle in the wind will get blown out - Confused

I do love me a practical quote.....


Chow for now!

Oh Oh Oh It's Magic?

I put plain, ordinary, everyday slices of bread into my toaster, and it becomes toast.

Toast!!

What sort of sorcery is this??

What magic transpires within this device??

Are the breads transported to another dimension, and replaced with these toasts??



What's that?

Heating coils?? Cooks the bread?

No magic then??

Well, there you have it - yet another piece of wizardry exposed. Kids, stay in school.....

Chow for now.

Booing Bieber

I'm behind the curve on this, but it was interesting to hear that the Grey Cup crowds booed both Justin Bieber AND Carly Rae Jettison...sorry....Jepson(??) during their halftime show performances .

Even worse/more disturbing was a trending topic asking "Who the F is Gordon Lightfoot"??!!

As a younger listener at one time myself, I may not have gotten into everything that my parents listened to (right away), but at least I respected what came before.

I think you know where I'm going with this - we need to euthanize everyone under 25...

KIDDING!!  Just under 20 maybe...

The funny thing is, these meatheads will be listening to music one day they will think is so friggin' amazing, and it will likely be the very artists they boo-birded back when they knew it all. Ahh, to be fully formed and cool again...

Sincerely,

The Coot

Chow for now...

There's An Elephant In The Room!

Sorry, false alarm.

Turned on the light, it was our armoire - honest mistake!!

Chow for now.....

It Ain't The Heat, It's The Humidity...

I just wanted to type that phrase out in a Canadian winter, for shiggles. There is no heat whatsoever here right now, and the only humidity is snow on the ground.

Winter has set in for the long run, although a Chinook or two might bring some relief over the next few months. Otherwise, she be cold. And it will get colder. With more snow.

Why haven't we moved to Hawaii yet????

Oh yeah - broke-ass........

Well, throw another log in the fire Martha - there's a few months to go before we see grass again!!

Oy.

Chow for now!

Chicken Scratch

(posted by weekend guest blogger Charlie Chicken...)

Ah give up.....

My radio station is playing "all Christmas moozic, all tha time". Every store has more Christmas sales

than anythin' else, and even ma bagel store has a Santa. IT'S ALL WRONG!!!

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

So, ah'm throwin' in tha cluckin' towel - ah put ma dekkorayshuns up, and a've got ms Christmas nuts in view. Ho Ho Ho....

Soon enuff, we'll be doin' this in August....

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

Hey, anybody know where ya kin sell a couple a used reindeer? I...I...uhh, I'm askin' fer a friend...

Cluck fer now....

Calgary Folk Club Review: BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet

Calgary Folk Club

11 23 12

BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet

with Rob Heath

The Saturday Morning "Somebody-Asked-Me-To, So-Here-I-Go" Entertainment Review:

Calgary Folk Club

BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet

Rob Heath

Of all the shows to have to leave early.......

WHAT A NIGHT!

I was tweeting before the show at the Calgary Folk Club last night that when my wife and I had gone to New Orleans, the one thing we regretted was not getting to see any authentic Louisiana zydeco music. Sure, we saw lots of Bourbon Street Journey cover bands - more than I think there are per capita anywhere else in North America. But for that tasty, zesty fiddle-driven sound made famous in and around New Orleans, we did not get to satisfy that craving.

Last night, with Grammy award winners and legendary Cajun/Creole traditionalists BeauSoleil - we got that and much more, in spades.

First off, Edmontonian Rob Heath (a new act to me) warmed up the larger than normal crowd with an intimate set of songs that led to a lineup at the CD sales table afterward he got off the stage. With a voice and original songs that sounded at times like a blend between easy-going Texan Lyle Lovett and a Canadian East Coast storyteller, his half hour was over all too soon. A song  in tribute to the late Christopher Reeve from his upcoming new album had to be the standout, similar in sentiment to Hal Ketchum's "Hang In There Superman", but in a more tender, gentle vein.

"What Jenny Draws" and "When Big Boys Cry" were prime examples of what is exactly right in any style of music, let alone folk. 

Find out more about Rob on his website www.robheath.com

Right. BeauSoleil then...

From opener "Bon Temps Roule" straight up until we had to leave during their second set, it was apparent right from the start why these folks have enjoyed such a lengthy career, as well as gathered awards as plentiful as apples in an Okanagan orchard. Just look at Michael Doucet's face in some of those pictures above, and tell me that he could be doing anything other than sharing his gift with audiences around the world. 

While I tended to consider the style zydeco, it is much more. Navigating around Cajun, Creole and just plain straight-up folk this tight band of professionals captivated the crowd, and got even a few stodgy Canadians out of their seats. Took a while, and some verbal cajoling, but the sidelines filled towards the end of the night with two-steppers. Like a Cajun Cowboys...

  

There are often surprising similarities in their sounds to East Coast fiddle music, and even what might have been considered Old Time music - traditional country music. But the spice of those unmistakeable Louisiana sounds takes over, and you are right outside the swamps and bayous, keeping an eye out for alligators.

BeauSoleil took us right back to Louisiana - and checked off the live zydeco experience from our bucket list. You'll have to forgive us if you see us standing in line again, with those buckets.

Every second of every day, there is music everywhere. You just have to listen for it. In the case of BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet, it's just so much more exquisite...

Visit their website, and get your Cajun on!

Check out upcoming shows at Calgary Folk Club

Chow for now!   

Onion For Sale - Cheap!

One Unused Onion For Sale, Cheap.

* Intended for visiting family, but was forgotten.

* A little harder than when it was new, and perhaps smellier than even before. Would like to save on cost of free e-Bay ad, or the Kijijiggler. No need for "to a good home", just any home other than ours.

* Best offer, must be willing to pick it up off curb outside condo complex. Coyotes known to be in area, so hurry.

* Makes a great Xmas gift???

* Contact for info, and offers.

Chow for now!

Two Hit Wonders Review - Calgary Herald

My "official" review is now live online:

CalgaryHerald.com

Check it out!

If you're in the Calgary area, make sure to pick up a physical copy of the newspaper - a little ink on your fingers isn't such a bad thing!

Chow for now!!

Calgary Folk Club This Weekend!

Getting prepared for a taste of Louisiana at this weekend's Calgary Folk Club presentation.

Mrs. That Dan Guy and I were in the audience several years ago when Mary Chapin Carpenter either was nominated for, or won a Grammy for her hit "Down At The Twist & Shout" - which featured the act we will be seeing at the Club.

Also remembering fond memories of NOLA re-reading some blog posts from our visit:

New Orleans

I've got a diabetes event early Saturday morning, but I still intend on getting my review of the show up before that.

Love It Live!!

Chow for now....

If There Are Flying Fish...

...are there Swimming Birds?

Never mind - I think ducks kinda fit THAT bill.

And they have bills!

(This was a stretch today...)

Chow for now!

My Reviews Are Spiking - Without A Volleyball!

Opening up Blogger this morning I noticed that my stats had spiked over the last few days.

Clicking on Analytics, I discovered that my latest blog review (Stage West Calgary's "Two Hit Wonders") had a boatload of views.

Earlier, my review of The Calgary Folk Club had the same effect. So clearly, I need to do more reviews :-)

And in the midst of all these entertainment writings stands a chicken. A rubber chicken. Charlie with his weekend posts continues to be one of my most popular views here. Fetish??

No accounting for taste! Maybe I need to try coaxing him to do a "Real Housewives Of The Barnyard"??

Gotta run. Tinkering continues back over at my original online presence, now being restored. Visit

my website to see what I have going on over there!

Chow for now!

Chicken Scratch

"Two Hit Wonders" Review

"Two Hit Wonders"

Stage West Calgary

The Saturday Morning "Somebody-Asked-Me-To, So-Here-I-Go" Entertainment Review:

"Two Hit Wonders"

Stage West Calgary

(apologies to Michelle Bouey for my photography fail above...she is in there!)

See.

This.

Show.

If you are a fan of music, be it from the 1950's, through to rather current hits, this show features the absolute tightest, strongest cast I've ever seen in a Stage West Calgary musical.

In earlier reviews, I've singled out Aaron Walpole for almost stealing the show during "Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story". Since then, he's gone on to the Toronto in "Rock Of Ages", and is fresh from Broadway's revival of "Jesus Christ Superstar".

I remember commenting in my "All Shook Up" review that Daniel Greenburg was a standout, and he was terrific again in last night's performance.

Finally, I was Tweeting up Lee Siegel a week before opening night for "Two Hit Wonders" based on his past performances here, and if you were in the theatre last night, you would have seen why. Another alumnus of the recent "Jesus Christ Superstar" along with powerhouse belter Katrina Reynolds - just there alone this cast of ten is in enviable company.

That said, this show was like some kind of competition to see who could outdo the other. Every single performance was as good or better than the one before it, and turning my wee booklight on and off to scribble down notes, I was doing it so often it was like a strobe. I'll reserve some of those thoughts for my "official" review coming soon for The Calgary Herald.

For those that hit this review first after Googling for feedback - here's mine: 

Set: Subdued, but perfect for the use. Looked great even before the show started.

Music: Crackerjack. With the band onstage for added impact, these are some of the finest musicians, and even on opening night they never overpowered the singers. Not hard to envision when musical director Konrad Pluta has a hand in the goings-on... 

Costumes: Well done. Added very much to the experience.

Hey, back to the cast of ten - each and every one had ample opportunity to showcase their talents, and there was no opportunity squandered. I truly cannot downplay here that every single one of these performers rose to the challenges of each song they had a solo for. New-to-me actors Elena Juatco and Chris Sams may have just stood out a little more, but I would have to name every member of the cast if I were being interrogated by husky wiseguys trying to pry from me who the star of the show was.

Wrapping up, co-creators Howard Pechet and (also director/choreographer) Timothy French nailed this one. I know that I keep saying that "this is the best musical you will ever see at Stage West Calgary".

For my money, this one really, really is...

I'll post a link when my "official" Calgary Herald review is online, and keep your eyes open as well for my upcoming interview with this "cast to keep your eyes on"!

Chow for now!   

I.P. Knightly

Igor Periscope Knightly had no idea growing up in the early 1800's that one day his name would be misappropriated for a schoolyard gag. I.P. Nightly was a joke I heard as a kid, and recently heard again.

I wonder if Ingrid Wetta Dahbed ever had anything similar happen???

Chow for now!

And How Do You Prefer Your Squirrel, Sir?

You know you're in a really nice restaurant when the waiter asks your preferences!

For the record, I'm a fan of BBQ, but I also go for stew on occasion.

Chow for now!

Good Night John-Boy...

Back when I still had my weekly humour column in the newspaper, one of the notes I never got to flesh out was a bit about the creators of The Waltons trying to pitch that heart-warming show in modern times.

I kind-of imagined it going a little bit like this:

Creative: It's a tale of struggle and family, set in times when ethics and decency were everything.

16-Year Old Network Executive: So, this family, they all live in the same house, and try to get along? Like "Big Brother", but they're related??

Creative: Uhh, no - it's more like generations of a family going through hard times, and finding strength in admirable qualities, as well as each other's support.

16-Year Old Network Executive: So, there are challenges? Immunity challenges?? Can we vote some of them out of the house??

Creative: Why would you want to do that?? It will inspire everyone that watches to be better people, and know that the best decision is based on strong moral principles.

16-Year Old Network Executive: Tell me about the female stars. They're all hot, right? Tell me they're hot!

Creative: Well, I suppose they could be attractive, but that would really have no bearing on our storylines...

16-Year Old Network Executive: Like, "give her the rose" attractive, or "cougar" attractive? Oh - and do any of these people sing? Can viewers vote for them??

Creative: Maybe they sing around the fireplace at night after supper, I don't know - and why would viewers vote for them??

16-Year Old Network Executive: Details, not to worry, we can hammer all this out, like, after. How do you feel about Donald Trump playing Grandpa Walton? Did you mention someone called John-Boy - he's a Bachelor, right? A millionaire bachelor??

Creative: Can I speak to your parents..............



Call me crazy, but that's how I imagine it might go.....

Chow for now!

I'd Love Some Feedback - or...It's Ba-ack!

Well after a prolonged absence, my original main online presence is back up and running.

With at least two web-hosts going broke on me, and two or more transfers to competing providers, I have held onto my domain name long enough to relaunch it.

Thus, with tremendous fanfare (a hyperlink, really...), I am pleased to re-introduce you to:

www.nonsenseandstuff.com

I'd appreciate it if you shared some thoughts on the revamped site. I still have to add more content and links, but there is at least a direction I appear to be pursuing that you can choose to comment on. Plus you'll have fun playing Hide N Seek trying to find my Contact Me link...

There you have it folks!

It's not a new Justin Bieber download, but it is free!

Chow for now!

One Onion

We have bought an onion. Perhaps the first-ever onion to penetrate the shields installed in the Such Is Life household. It is a monumental thing, to say the least...

We have bought this single, solitary onion in anticipation of a family member arriving later this week, who might care for an onion - perhaps after dinner, or while relaxing in our guest bedroom late at night.

Frankly, we have no idea what to do with an onion. Niether of us care for them, so we have no idea - do you bake them? Do you fry them??

Does one bob for onions???

It is sitting outside in the garage for now. We didn't want to contaminate our own food supply - I mean come on, what did apples ever do to deserve rooming with an onion??

Even out there, the pungent aroma is seeping into my motor oil and windshield washer fluid. Better to replace those items than have to buy a new refrigerator, I reckon...

Well, I had better peel away from this post, and go Googler "Onions" to see what we might be expected to do with this thing. I've heard they make people cry when they are being cut. It's certainly made us a little unhappy just knowing it's out there in the cold garage, but we are trying to be the bigger people here.

We want to be know as gracious hosts, after all :-)

Chow for now!

Bonus Post - My Remembrance Day Column...

My apologies if you've already come across this in my two Twitter feeds - but this is my latest REM column:

remonline.com

Carry on....

Chow for now!